Hed Chef: Italian omelette, Singapore style

This spinach frittata adds more than a splash of sunshine to the table. Tell your friends you made this Italian-style omelette with locally farmed produce, and that is bound to get the conversation going.

I used carrot eggs - which is bolstered with lutein (a carotenoid that protects eyes), vitamin A and vitamin E - from Seng Choon Farm and two types of local spinach from Kok Fah for this frittata.

It makes perfect sense to shop for locally farmed produce.

For a start, the shorter time it takes to get from farm to shelf makes local produce fresher.

I also like knowing the food source.

All three local poultry farms - Seng Choon Farm, Chew's Agriculture and N&N Agriculture - are registered under the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) Singapore Quality Egg Scheme (SQES).

Look for the SQES logo on egg cartons as this is a mark of quality and freshness.

Besides eggs, you can find a variety of local leafy vegetables and fish at major supermarkets.

You can also get ready-packed Veggie Life mixed salads produced by Panasonic - the first indoor farm licensed by the AVA.

To identify local produce, look out for the country of origin on the packaging or the Love Homegrown Produce label.

Don't underestimate the impact of your choice of groceries when you go shopping. Buying local produce keeps our farms in business, which in turn contributes to the economy and builds better food supply resilience.

Watch this space next week for a luscious pie recipe featuring more local produce.

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INGREDIENTS

• 150g locally farmed red spinach leaves
•  100g locally farmed baby spinach leaves
• 6 locally produced eggs
• 3 fresh button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 150ml whipping cream
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red finger chilli, deseeded and sliced
• 150g gruyere cheese, grated
• Dash of black pepper, pinch of salt
• 1 flat tsp salt (for whisked eggs)
• 3 tbsp olive oil

RECOMMENDED WITH:

Locally produced mixed salad

EQUIPMENT:

Oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron

METHOD

1. Preheat oven grill on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Crack eggs into mixing bowl. Whisk.

3. Add 120g of gruyere cheese and 150ml whipping cream. Whisk well.

4. Add black pepper and 1 tsp of salt. Whisk and set aside.

5. Heat olive oil. Fry sliced mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Add minced garlic.

6. Fry on medium heat and cook until liquid from tomatoes and mushrooms is reduced.

7. Add baby spinach, fry until wilted. 

8. Add red spinach leaves and continue to fry to reduce the moisture.

9. Add a pinch of salt.

10. Distribute spinach mixture with your spatula to cover bottom of the skillet.

11. Add egg mixture. Reduce heat and cook egg mixture until sides are set.

12. Turn off heat. Sprinkle remaining cheese and arrange sliced chilli on top of the frittata. Transfer skillet into oven.

13. Grill on medium heat until the top is cooked and golden.

14. Serve with mixed salad on the side.

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HOW FRESH ARE LOCAL EGGS?

Based on lab tests conducted by AVA, eggs produced by local poultry farms are Grade AA - the best grade for freshness.

The Haugh unit (HU) measures egg protein and is used to evaluate freshness. The higher the number, the better the quality of the egg. Eggs are classified as AA (72 and above HU), A (71 to 60 HU) and B (59 or below HU).

Source: Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore